This invention relates to an imaging device, more particularly, to an imaging device employing a continuous-form recording sheet and having a function capable of locking an original tray of the imaging device when a cover of a housing container a cartridge of the recording sheet is opened.
In a conventional imaging device employing a continuous-form recording sheet, a film serving as the continous-form recording sheet in the form of a roll is accommodated in a cartridge and the cartridge containing such a film is housed in the device for copying purposes. On the other hand, an inner cover is used to screen the cartridge in the device from outside light. In case the user has used up a whole roll of recording medium, it will be necessary to follow the following steps of procedure comprising replacing the cartridge with a new one by opening the inner cover, rearranging a new recording sheet in each mechanism of the device, housing the cartridge body in the device and closing the inner cover. In this case, an original tray being horizontally movable has to be moved opposite to the inner cover side, i.e., to the rightmost end thereof in the present embodiment, so as not to obstruct the operation of opening and closing the inner cover. The cartridge is thus replaced.
While the inner cover is held open, the cartridge is replaced or the recording sheet is passed through the various mechanisms of the above-described device. If the original tray is allowed to move toward the inner cover (leftward in this embodiment) due to inadvertence of the operator or an unexpected impact, the aforesaid operations may be impeded and besides the operator will have to return the original tray to the initial position each time such a happening occurs. Provided the movement of the original tray toward the inner cover is great, moreover, a collision between the inner cover thus opened and the leftside of the original tray tends to become unavoidable, thus causing damage to the inner cover or original tray.
The further drawback is that, since the recording medium is, as shown in FIG. 1, fed to the device after the cartridge body is mounted on the original tray cover 1 and stablized thereon, the operation of passing paper therethrough becomes laborious. In addition, the recording sheet may become jammed in the gap between the original tray and the device and, in the worst case, ruptured therein.